


A Walk in the Park

by Elly_dk



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drinking & Talking, HP: EWE, M/M, Post-War, Walking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-25 07:31:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12526192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elly_dk/pseuds/Elly_dk
Summary: About walking, talking and drinking tea and whiskey.





	A Walk in the Park

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fic. I’m kind of nervous about it. Thanks for checking it out.  
> And thanks to Phrynne for being an awsome beta on this. 
> 
> Love  
> /Elly

It has been five years. Five years is a long time. It is a long time and it is no time at all. He goes out the door today. There is a park near his flat. It’s a muggle park. No one looks up. There is a man walking his dog, wearing a thin sweater even though it’s early morning and November. The dog is too small. It is not the dog’s fault really, it’s the man’s. He has bought a dog that is too small for him. The sight is ridiculous. 

He doesn’t have any pets. Though there’s a small nest under the roof of his house. He looks at it again when he comes back from his walk. It seems empty. It was empty yesterday as well.   
Later that day, or maybe the day after, there is a knock on the door. He doesn’t get up to answer right away. It will be the post officer with mail for his neighbour. Maybe the two women who stop by sometimes. They always have a new pamphlet they want him to read. They want to talk to him. Once they came in for tea. Today it is not the women nor the post officer, unless Harry Potter has decided to take up a new job and abandon his position as an Auror. It does not seem likely. 

\- Draco?

He shuts the door and his knees give out. There is another short knock, but this time he doesn’t open. He stays on the floor for a long time, maybe he sleeps a little. He doesn’t go out the door again that month. 

He sorts the tea shelf; there was no order to it before. He tries several different ways of sorting before choosing one. The tea is sorted by the colour of the packaging, going from black through blue, green, yellow, red and ending in brown. He orders some mango flavoured tea that he doesn’t like. The packaging is orange. His bookcase in the living room needs sorting too. He doesn’t sort it today. Today he goes for a walk in the park again. There is a pond there, with five fish. Maybe there are only four, but they keep switching places and swimming out of sight. 

At Christmas he drinks a whole bottle of Firewhiskey . He sleeps through New Years’ Eve. There are still no birds in the nest.

It is almost spring when he answers a knock on the door. He takes the pamphlet and wonders if the women like mango tea. The pamphlet shows a man with a child in his arms; under the picture it reads “what is the best gift of all”. That night he sleeps on the bathroom’s cold floor. He orders Firewhiskey from Ogden’s owl service. Three days later there is another knock on the door.

\- Don’t close the door.  
\- I wasn’t going to. 

His voice is hoarse.

\- Can I come in?  
\- No.  
\- But you are not going to close the door?  
\- No.  
\- Ok.

He looks up at the nest. Potter looks too.

\- I wanted to talk to you.

Harry Potter looks at him. His eyes are green, his clothes are black and blue and his teeth are white.

\- Is that ok?  
\- I don’t know.  
\- We could walk.  
\- I like the park sometimes.  
\- Do you like it today?  
\- Not really.  
\- When then?  
\- Sometimes.

They look at each other. He takes a step back.

\- I’ll come back another day then.

The door closes and he begins sorting the books. There are a lot more books than tea. After five days of deliberating, the bookcase is still empty and all the books are lying in piles on the floor. He spends most of his time in the kitchen now. 

There are still no birds in the nest, but a sparrow is chirping on his windowsill the next morning. It smells like spring. He takes a walk in the park as he has done most mornings this week. He sees a couple walking towards him. They hold hands, but they hold them like a parent holds hands with a child. The fingers don’t intertwine. They smile at him, they smile at the old woman feeding the five (maybe four) fish in the pond and they smile at each other. He wonders if his teeth are as white as Potter’s.

The next time there is a knock, he opens a lot faster than he usually does. He knows that it is Harry Potter this time. 

\- What about today?  
\- I walk in the mornings.  
\- Every morning?  
\- Yes.  
\- Ok.

This time he doesn’t close the door. He looks at Potter walking away. He hears a slight squeak from the nest.

The next morning Harry Potter is waiting in front of his flat. They walk to the park in silence.

\- I can see why you like it here. It’s very peaceful.  
\- It is.  
\- You can tell me to leave, when you want.  
\- I know.  
\- Your probation is over. You know that right?  
\- Yes.  
\- You haven’t picked up your wand.  
\- I know.  
\- I have it. If you want it.  
\- Oh.  
\- Do you want it?  
\- Yes.

Harry Potter hands him his wand. His fingers tingle. His stomach flutters. He looks at Potter’s green eyes and puts the wand in his back pocket.

\- Is that it?  
\- Uh, yes, I mean, I wanted to give that to you.  
\- Is that your job?  
\- Not really.  
\- Thank you then.  
\- You’re welcome.  
\- I’m going home now.  
\- Can I visit again?  
\- Why?  
\- Can I?  
\- Do you like mango tea?  
\- What?  
\- Tea, that tastes like mango.  
\- Oh, sure.  
\- Good.

The door slams shut behind him. His wand pointed at it and his breath sharp. He sleeps, dreaming of orange smoke covering green liquid. 

Every morning Harry Potter is waiting for him. For two weeks they have been walking in the park together. Today, three little swallows are peaking at him from the nest as he steps back inside his flat and away from Potter.

\- I have mango tea.  
\- Oh?  
\- I don’t like it.  
\- Then why do you have it?  
\- It’s in an orange box.  
\- That doesn’t make any sense.  
\- Sure it does. Well?  
\- Well?  
\- Do you want some?  
\- Do I want some of your mango tea?  
\- Yes.  
\- Uhm, sure Draco.

They enter his flat together. Draco heats up water with his wand. The mango tea smells nice.

\- Why do you call me that?  
\- What?  
\- Draco. You never called me Draco before.  
\- Things are different.  
\- Maybe.

They drink tea in silence. When Potter is done, he puts the cup in the sink.

\- I’m off to work. Thanks for the tea.  
\- No problem.  
\- I also like whiskey.  
\- So do I.  
\- You should learn to share.  
\- I can share. I just don’t like to.  
\- Only child.  
\- So are you.  
\- Not really.  
\- Ok. Well, have a nice day.

Potter leaves for work. He washes the cups and goes to the living room. The books are still in piles. He points his wand at them and starts sorting again. It is a lot quicker with the wand. He tries to do it by colour. Then by author, by title and by thickness. In the end he sorts the books by height. They make a curve that looks like the place where the lower back meets the arse. He thinks he hears the little birds chirp even though he is too far away from the nest.

There is a knock on his door that evening. He freezes. The women always come in the afternoon. Harry Potter walks with him in the morning’s and it’s too late for the post officer. The knock gets louder. He grips his wand tight and moves to open the door slowly.

There is laughter in the green eyes that meet his. 

\- I brought whiskey.

Potter looks him over and the smile drops from his face. 

\- Are you ok?  
\- Yes. Maybe.  
\- Shit, sorry Draco.  
\- It’s ok. I’m just not used to…  
\- I know. Can I come in?  
\- Sure.

He pours whiskey in the glasses, that Draco places on the table between them. It’s muggle whiskey. It burns going down.

\- Why are you here?  
\- I live here.  
\- I know that. I mean… why haven’t you come back?

He looks down at his glass; it’s empty. Potter fills it again.

\- It’s too much.  
\- Is this too much as well?  
\- This? You?  
\- Yeah.  
\- I like talking to you.  
\- Good. I’m glad.  
\- Why?  
\- Why am I glad?  
\- That too. Why do you come here? Why do you care?

Both glasses are empty again, but only for a short time.

\- You have been on my mind. A lot.  
\- Is that why you gave me my wand?  
\- Maybe.   
\- What do you think then, when I’m on your mind?  
\- I need another drink.

Harry empties his glass two times and fills it again.

\- I think about a lot of things.  
\- Such as?  
\- Do you think about me? Did you before this?  
\- I’ve always thought a lot about you, Harry.

They lock eyes. Both have one hand on the table and one hand holding a glass. Harry’s fingertips are almost touching his.

\- Not all bad I hope.  
\- No, not all bad.

Harrys grabs the bottle and fills his glass again. When he moves to place his hand on the table, their fingers touch.

\- Draco…

The green in Harry’s eyes flashes as he grabs Draco’s hand and pulls him across the table. The kiss is short. Harry’s eyes are closed.

\- Sorry. I’ll leave, I just… sorry.  
\- Don’t leave.

Harry opens his eyes and nods. His smile is wide, the bottle of whiskey almost empty.

They walk out of the flat together the next morning. Harry’s fingers weaving through his. Two of the birds have flown from the nest. Maybe the last one will fly tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> Big big thanks to @phrynne, for encouraging me to write. I loved writing this and I would never had gotten around to just sitting down and trying to write somthing, if she hadn't given me the gentle push I needed.


End file.
